Jaworski tough on Jake Locker

In his 32-part ESPN series called “Jaws’ QB Countdown,” former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski evaluates the probable starting quarterbacks for each franchise and ranks them from 32 to 1.

For the second straight offseason, the three-minute segments air daily on SportsCenter and NFL Live.

Jaworski ranked Titans quarterback Jake Locker 31st out of the 32 probable starters, ahead of only Matt Flynn of the Raiders. Here’s what Jaworski had to say about Locker, who will be entering his second season as a starter:

“Number 31 on my quarterback countdown is Jake Locker. 2013 will be Locker’s third season with the Titans. Up to this point, he has not shown enough to warrant his selection as the eighth overall pick in the 2011 Draft. The question is: what can Locker become at his very best?

“His skillset is that of a dual-threat quarterback, with a strong arm and excellent athletic ability to make plays with his legs. Right now, Locker is a movement player. While there’s no question that has its merits, the reality in the NFL remains the same as it always has been: no one is a top-level quarterback because of the way they move or run.

“While Locker has often been talked about as throwing well on the run, a careful look at all his throws reveals that he’s erratic with both his clarity and his accuracy. What really stood out evaluating Locker was the number of sacks he took. That resulted from pressure outside the box, especially from the slot.

“It was this week four sack against Houston that cost Locker five starts. This was a tough one to read, very well disguised. The key was safety Danieal Manning. Is Manning maintaining his two deep integrity, or do you see him stacked over the inside slot, playing man-to-man versus Jared Cook? If you read him as a slot defender, then Glover Quin is blitzing. When the other safety rotated to the middle of the snap that was a clear indicator it was single-high blitz with Manning man-to-man on Cook. Pre-snap, Locker’s awareness should have been heightened. Post-snap, the blitz was confirmed.

“This is part of playing quarterback effectively from the pocket. We know Locker has the necessary arm strength and he can move; that’s not enough. It’s the subtle nuances of the position, the disciplines of the craft that Locker must work on. He’s not there yet. In fact, I believe he has a long way to go. One final point: if he does not throw with more consistent accuracy, he will always struggle to become a quality NFL starter.”